File.



A. E. LANDON.

FILE. v APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1910.

WITNESSES: I

M g. UM (m xm v a WQWK ATTORNEY lNVENTOR THE NORRIS PETERS cm,WASHINGWN, A c4 Patented July 5, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASA E. LANDON, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SALES BOOKCOMPANY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

FILE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ASA E. LANDoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elmira, in the county of Ohemung and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Files, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in filing devices such asdescribed in Letters Patent No. 800,858, of October 3, 1905, granted toWarren F. Beck and myself, and in Letters Patent No. 832,549, of October2, 1906, granted to myself; and the object of my present invention is toprovide certain improvements in such filing devices whereby the salesslips will be held more securely in their respective compartments, andwhereby the exposed portions of such sales slips will be concealed whenthe file is not in use.

I attain my object by constructing the file in the manner illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 presents a plan view of oneleaf of a filing case embodying said improvements, with a second leafhinged thereto at the left hand side, and shown in longitudinal section;Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same on the line w-w in Fig. 1; andFigs. 3 and 4, details showing the manner of constructing the individualcompartment flaps or partitions.

Like numerals designate like parts in the several views.

The file, as herein illustrated, consists of leaves 1, 1, hingedtogether, each leaf comprising a shallow rectangular tray or receptacleormed of wood or other material of suitable lightness and strength.Running longitudinally through the center of each leaf is a divisionstrip 2, upon each side of which there are arranged series ofcompartments formed by overlapping flaps 3, each flap in a seriesprojecting a short distance beyond the next overlapping flap, andforming a compartment in which may be placed the sales slips belongingto any given customer, as they may be added from time to time in thecourse of business transactions. These flaps are preferably formed fromcartridge paper, and applied to the receptacle in the manner describedin the aforesaid Letters Patent, by having the return bends 4, (see Fig.4), fastened to the back of the receptacle, the lower ends beingSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1910.

Patented July 5, 1910.

Serial No. 550,952.

bent outward at right angles to provide a flat bottom for thecompartment, and the body of the flaps being then bent over to lieloosely upon one another.

To more effectually hold the several sales slips in their respectivecompartments, I further provide the upper ends of the flaps withoutturned right angle bends or flanges 5, said flanges being reinforcedin any suitable manner to give them the necessary strength to maintaintheir shape under usage. These projecting flanges also stiffen the upperends of the flaps and add very materially to the convenience andrapidity of manipulating the file when inserting the sales slipstherein, as they are more readily grasped when lifting the flaps. At theright hand side of the flaps these flanges are cut away; and a portionof the body of the flap may also be cut away, as on the diagonal line 6,although this is not necessary.

Retaining bars 7 in the form of bails are hinged at 8 at opposite endsof the leaves, by means of outturned projections slipped intocorresponding sockets provided in the ends of the leaves; the bailsbeing hinged atsuch points that, when thrown downward upon the flaps,the bails will rest upon the right hand side of the flaps, where theflanges 5 have been cut away. The bails are provided with longitudinalplates 9, rigidly fastened thereto in position to rest upon the flaps,and to conceal the items of accounts exposed opposite the customersnames, as they appear on the sales slips in each compartment. By thisdevice, when the file is open, nothing appears except the names of thecustomers; and if the file be left open nothing of this confidentialnature appears to the casual observer. Only by lifting the bails willthese accounts be disclosed. The bails are held in locked position uponthe compartments by means of snap latches such as shown at 10, or othersuitable devices.

When one in authority desires to examine a customers account, or to openthe files for filing the sales slips, the bail for the particular seriesof compartments, in which the customers name is to be found, will bereleased from its latch, and thrown over to the left, as shown at theleft hand side in Figs. 1 and 2. The bail and the concealing plate 9 arethereby moved to one side clear of the compartment, thus fullydisclosing the customers accounts, and leavingthe fiaps free to belifted for inserting or removing the sales slips.

WVithout confining myself strictly to the construction, as herein shown,of the several parts of the device, what I claim aslny invention anddesire; to secure by Letters Patent is l.- A file 'comprisingareceptacle containing a plurality of expansible filing compartmentsarranged in series with each compartment in a series projecting beyondthe next overlying compartment, and "a retaining bar adapted to be laidover the series of compartments at one side and to conceal from viewcertain portions of the contents compartments, said bail being sopositioned as to engage the series of compartments at one side and beingprovided with means for concealing certain portions of the contentsofthe compartments there exposed to view, and means for fastening the bailin closedposition. i i

3. A file comprising a receptacle containing a plurality of filingcompartments arranged in series, said compartments being formed by flapsfastened at one end to the back of the receptacle andrturned over to lieloosely one upon another, each flap in a series projecting beyond thenext overlying flap and having an outturned flange across its'exposedend, said flanges being cut away at one side of the flaps, and aretaining bar adapted to be laid upon the flaps where the flanges arecut away. i

4. A file comprising a receptacle containing a plurality of filingcompartments arranged in series, said compartments being formed by flapsfastened at one end to the back of the receptacle and turned over to lieloosely upon one another, each flap in a series projecting beyond thenext overlying flap and having an outturned flange across its exposedend.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

ASA E. LANDON.

Witnesses:

M. E. VERBECK, EUGENE DIVEN.

